Riptide
by PlayfulxPurple
Summary: Camilla Laverne finds that keeping her mouth shut and obeying orders is the easiest way to live.


Camilla took to scouting the forest floor. Her team took the high ground. She preferred it this way, not because she was faster on her feet than most but because she liked to hunt alone. The squad suffered less casualties this way and though technically she was bait she had a duty to carry out.

She was dispassionate about saving humanity as most that joined the military, however when asked her reasons for joining were similar. Camilla had a debt to pay, a favor to a parental figure she could not blow off. She was a soldier by fate and as such she gave it her all. She believed this to be the reason Levi had picked her to join his squad, but the real truth was because she just didn't fit in well with others.

She laughed at herself for such an insensitive thought and tried to remain focused on the task she was given. Levi wanted her at full potential. Anything less would rouse a rudeness in him she was not willing to deal with. Her body moved swiftly across the muddy ground; her green, hooded cloak billowing in the wind around her. Her keen eyes spotted the training dummy in the clearing several kilometers from her current location and hastened herself to run faster.

This was no more than a drill and yet Camilla was willing to spare no sacrifices. She waited no longer and raced into the clearing without Levi's consent. Her weapon was unsheathed; a single blade that she held in her right hand. It was all that she needed.

Aiming a grapping hook from her Vertical Equipment to the Titan dummy, she activated the gas mechanism to reel herself into the air. Her body instantly felt unsettled as she soared at its front. Her goal was not to be eaten, but to test her limitations with the equipment. Cadet Kirstein demonstrated to her this technique.

She waited for the right moment to fire a second hook into a tree to her left and switched direction, as Jean had instructed. He was a natural at it; catching Titans off guard in order to deliver the finishing blow. She was a survivalist. Camilla was certain she could not muck this up, but as she detached the two hooks to aim a third, her equipment stalled. The steel wires hadn't time to retract and she braced herself for impact.

Her arm sideswiped the tree and sent her crashing down into the forest floor. Immediate, sharp pain racked her core. She gasped for air and rolled onto her stomach. Her equipment dug painfully into her thin, abused body until she released the clasp and wiggled herself out of the harnesses, tossing it aside. Her ears were met with the high-pitched hissing of gas leaking from the cylinder; assuming it was damaged during the fall. Camilla dug her boots into the soft, muddy earth and let out a scream.

She was screwed.

Petra approached her first, landing near her and coming to her aid. Her soft, bright eyes narrowed in worry as she looked her over.

"Are you alright?"

Camilla beckoned her to step back and pulled herself from the dirt, smearing the mud from her palms onto her wash pants. "I've had worse." This was nothing compared to first time she had mishandled her equipment. She broke her arm and recalled having to stay off duty for three weeks while it healed.

Her uniform was the only thing wrecked this go around, luckily.

Petra stifled a laugh. "You look terrible. The captain is going to have a fit when he sees you."

"No doubt," she replied. Honestly though she wasn't worried about that. She was nervous with what her captain would do to her given that she destroyed yet another of the military's devices. Her eyes fell on the broken machine resting in the mud. "Be honest with me. He's going to replace me, isn't he?"

"Maybe not."

Camilla huffed a sigh. Only one way to find out. Oluo and Eld landed on the forest floor and soon after the captain himself. She muttered out an apology and brought her arm up into a salute.

Levi brushed passed the two and stood in front of her. He was merely an inch shorter but made her feel like a child under his calm, narrowed eyes. She straightened her shoulders and tried to look fearless as he surveyed the damage she had caused.

"Care to explain cadet what in the hell you were trying to accomplish by that maneuver?"

"A new way to utilize the Vertical Maneuvering Equipment sir," she answered with composure. Her shoulders fell limp. "I was trying to switch direction while still grappled onto the tree."

"How did that benefit you?" His voice poured with cynicism.

"I misjudged the reel in time and crashed. My equipment is in ruins," she replied.

"What do you suppose that means?"

Camilla gripped her fist. "It means that I'm dead sir."

"Not only you, but the whole damn squad, as you clearly endangered their lives with that pathetic excuse of talent as well." His calm demeanor made her blood boil. "If you want to walk out onto the field and become food for the Titans then do it on someone else's time. I have no patience for screw ups in my squad, is that understood?"

"Yes Captain. It won't happen again."

"And not to mention the state of disorder you are in," he went on. His nose curled in disgust at her. "Go get cleaned up. You're filthy. A Titan may as well have shat you out."

She dug her teeth into her bottom lip and shook her head in disagreement. Her body felt offbeat, shaking with anger. "I can't agree sir. I want to stay and train with the rest of the squad." How could he expect her to comply so easily? In her opinion there was really no reason to hit the showers just yet. She was lined up to join the 104th Training Corps in their close quarters combat lesson, then in light of her recent mistake, put in an entreaty to get her gear fixed. Her schedule was far too busy to just call it a day, but Levi would not give in.

"There is no need," he said calmly. "I gave you an order cadet."

The words left her mouth before she had time to think, "And I said no."

Levi had enough. He took her by surprise by stepping forward, grabbing her injured arm and locking it behind her back. Camilla hissed in pain and struggled to pull herself free but to no result. Her captain was rather stout despite his short stature. She considered giving in, calling it a day now that word of her noncompliance to the Lance Corporal was sure to spread like wildfire around the camp. She'd be a laughing stock by lunch time, but thankfully the humiliation didn't last much longer; the voice of Erwin Smith cut the tension like a knife.

"Levi, stand down."

The dark haired male released her and stood in attention. Camilla quickly did the same as the rest of the squad followed suit. Why was he here? She supposed Levi wondered the same.

"Why the unexpected visit?"

"I came to make sure that your newest member was up to standard," Erwin answered. His clear, blue eyes flickered between the two. "But I guess I arrived at a bad time. Looks to me like you have an alteration of sorts, Lance Corporal Ackerman."

Camilla rolled her eyes. She had her doubts about him. Her attention went to her captain, awaiting an answer from him. Either way, good or bad, she was in for a scolding.

Levi gave an unmoved response, "Just a brat that refuses to follow orders." The nerve of him boiled her blood to the core. She wanted more than anything to punch him without the consequences of rebelling against a superior. Her body shook in anger.

Erwin seemed to notice and moved forward, resting his hand on her injured arm. She flinched at the sudden pain and shot at him a heated glare. He gave a frown. "I have your word as promised, so tell me that you didn't talk back to your leading officer again."

Camilla chewed at her bottom lip again. "I'm sorry Commander, but yes I did."

"Then so am I," he replied. He released her arm and stood back, squaring his shoulders to appear in order. "Take in your arrogance cadet and accept whatever punishment Lance Corporal Ackerman sees fit to give you."

"I understand sir."

How bad could it be? In terms of punishment not even Erwin could break her. Levi would do no better. He was a clean freak if rumors were true. Did that mean he'd force her to clean the sleeping quarters, or maybe even organize the supplies in the dusty, old storage bunker? She wanted to laugh, but how unpleasant she'd be in doing so. In truth, she didn't much care.

Her scornful, dark eyes settled on her captain once again. This time Oluo was next to him, listening to the captain as he gave him an order. Camilla found it hard to hear, but the mirror image of Levi shook his head in agreement and grappled himself into the air towards the direction of the storage bunkers.

Camilla was right. Her punishment would involve having to clean something no less. She waited for cadet Bozado's return and once he broke through the tree lines into the clearing her lips pulled into a grin. Did Levi really think she was that dumb?

She watched as Oluo tossed him a small, square package and joined the others back on the sidelines. Petra looked absolutely mortified for her, but Camilla assured her everything would be okay with a quick wink of her eye.

"On your knees cadet Laverne," the voice of her captain spoke.

Camilla shot him a look of surprise. He wanted her to go down on her knees for him? She trembled at the thought. "I don't understand sir." Her voice cracked with hesitation.

Levi curled his nose into a sneer and repeated himself, "I said to get on your damn knees brat." She lost her nerve and eased herself onto the cold, forest floor. She watched as Levi unwrapped the paper from the square bar and snap it into two pieces. Her keen eyes read the crumpled paper before it was buried away in the captain's jacket pocket.

It was soap. Basic, unscented wash soap from the bunker. Was the captain going to clean her off himself? He stood over her, staring down into her startled, black eyes without any remorse.

"Open your mouth." Her face became warm and she shook in interest. Something about this shook her to the core.

She hesitated at first but did as he had ordered and parted her lips a fraction. Levi didn't wait to jam the broken bar into her mouth. The unpleasant taste instantly made her gag but Levi crushed his hand against her face to make certain the soap stayed in place. Her eyes blurred with hot tears as she tried to keep from swallowing the foul substance.

This turn of events was humiliating, worse than she had initially thought. She decided it would be best to keep her mouth shut from now on but something inside of her begged for his worse. She pressed her tongue against the bar and slid it against her captain's open palm, licking at his exposed skin. Her eyes pleaded with Levi to stop, afraid of her own actions as she curled her fingers around the fabric of her mud-covered dress shirt in delight.

He complied at least and pulled his hand from her mouth, clicking his tongue in annoyance.

She dropped onto her palms and spat out the soap bar, removing the suds that leaked carelessly from behind her open mouth. Her stomach lurched from the abuse on her nerves and she instantly heaved up her recent breakfast. Petra was at her side to hold back her fallen locks and ease her suffering until she stopped.

Warm tears poured down her face as she shot a desiring glare at her captain. He merely turned his head away from her. "I won't say it again. Return to your barracks and clean yourself up." Camilla couldn't agree more.

She bit back a sob and returned to her feet. Her face felt warm. She clinched her fists and turned to leave, resolving to return to her room and call it a night. Her tongue moved to eagerly wet her chapped lips.

He was such a hot tease.


End file.
